Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-21

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Va, 70 Atlantic seaboard. -...,;;;,,. 20 "
Cattle per car, from Summers county, W.
Va, TO Atlantic seaboard-......-... -. ~ "
The following, :" relation to passenger
fare, came under lly own observation dur
ing the past year:
Passenger fare from Washington to Charles :,
Passenger es C: fare ffom Washingon 70 Cincin- :.
natl, more than 80 miles farther IL "
A gentleman in the eastern part Of this
State had ak or eight horses to be shipped
from Cincinnati to Keyser, w. Va. He
found the charges to be;
From Cincinnati 70 Keyser. s96 %
From Cincinnati 10 Baltimore, over 100
miles .--..--.'..----.. 20 W
In another case, gentleman of Harper's
Ferry had shipped to that point from. Chi
cago, car load of oats. The charges were;
From Chicago to Harpers Ferry. .,.;...sl2o %
From Chicago to Baltimore, over fOO miles -
" W
A few years ago the Harper's Ferry
water power was purchased from the
United States, by Mr.. Savary and Others,
with the intention Of erecting pulp and
paper manufactory, that would give en-
ployment to hundreds or people. The work
was at once commenced, but, ascertaining
from Baltimore and Ohio Railroad officials
that freight rates from Baltimore, Phila-
delphia and New York, to Cincinnati and
other points, would be less than from Har-
per's Ferry to the same points, and even
from Harper's Ferry to Baltimore, the en-
terprise had to be abandoned, to await the
mercy and condescension of the railroad
masters of trade and commerce.
Under the Interstate Commerce Act
these evils may be'remedied; but power is
placed in the hands of the Commission by
which they may be continued under the
forms of law. Applications to the Com
mission for discriminating authority have
already been successfully made. 1t is to
be hoped that this State may no longer be
the victim Of this flagrant and blighting
injustice; but it is the part of wisdom to
prepare for protecting the rights of the
people to the full extent of constitutional
and statutory law.
Section four, of said Act, reads as fol-
lows:
'That it shall be unlawful for any COM
mon carrier subject to the provisions of
this Act to charge or receive any greater
compensation in the aggregate for the
transportation OF passengers or of like kind
of property, under substantially similar
circumstances and conditions, for a
shorter than for a longer distance
over the same line, in the same
direction, the shorter being in
cluded within the longer distance; but this
shall not be construed as authorizing any
common carrier within the terms of this
Act to charge and receive as great compen-
sation for q shorter as for longer dis
tance; provided, however, that. upon appli-
cation to the Commission appointed under
the provisions Of this Act, such common
carrier may, in special cases, after investi-
CATION by the Commission, be authorized
to charge less for longer than for shorter
distances for the transportation Of passen-
gers or property; and the Commission may
from time to time prescribe the extent to
which such designated common carrier
may be relieved from the operation Of this
section of this Act"
The Supreme Court Of the United States,
in the case of Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railroad Company VS.. Denver and New
Orleans Railroad Company, 10 U. s. Re-
ports, 667, &C., decided railroad discrimi-
nation in freight charges unlawful, on cont
mon ldl5 principles.
repeat, from the communication had
the honor Of submitting at the last legis-
latiye session:
''The power that is placed in the hands
of the Commission to permit discrimina-
tion by allowing greater charge for a
shorter than for a longer distance is not
only dangerous. but virtually places the
entire Interstate commerce of this vast
country under the control Of five men,"
',If Congress should in so many words,
declare that on a railroad passing through
this State, from Chicago to Baltimore, the
charge on a car load of freight might be
$40. 90 from Chicago and $1,000 from West
Continued on Third Pace